Young attorneys prompt need for firms
to explore new ways of
doing business
By Melody Finnemore

Clifton Molatore knew early in his legal career that he wasnít
satisfied at the large Los Angeles law firm where his employer expected him
to rack up billable hours.

"Moving to the Northwest was a lifestyle change for me," says
the 30-year-old associate at Portlandís Miller Nash law firm. "At Miller
Nash, while there is an emphasis on working hard and doing a good job, there
is also an emphasis on spending time with family. Itís very family-friendly
and itís also got a very collegial feel, which was important to me."

Molatore is among a growing number of young attorneys who define
their career goals based on the amount of time they have for family, hobbies,
pro bono work and other personal pursuits. A better life/work balance is
considered essential by Generation Y professionals, also called "Millennials" because
the first wave graduated from college in 2000. Such priorities often set
younger associates apart from older colleagues and law-firm partners.

"My dad was viewed as the breadwinner and my mom was the
homemaker, so my dad worked all day and when he got home he was done," Molatore
says. "I want to get home and spend time with my child and be as involved
in her upbringing as I can, and I think a lot of male attorneys I work with
feel that way, too. Itís not that we think our dads did a poor job, itís
just a cultural shift."

In order to spend more time at home, Millennials often seek
more flexible work schedules. Itís a workplace trend driven in large part
by families in which both parents work and share responsibility for raising
children. This desire for flexibility also applies to networking with clients
and socializing with colleagues, Molatore says.

"I know a lot of people I work with, including myself,
who would rather be at home with their families than go out for drinks in
the evening," he says. "Thatís not to say I donít network or see
the value of it. Itís just that Iíd rather do it during the day than in the
evenings."

While many Millennials view flexibility as critical when it
comes to work schedules and networking responsibilities, they stand firm
on one point: They are intent on ensuring their careers donít dominate their
lives ó a major philosophical shift from their older counterparts.

"Weíre viewed as slackers and as though we donít want
to work hard, especially by the Baby Boomer generation, which I donít think
is a fair assessment," Molatore says. "The Baby Boomers seem to
be driven to make as much money as possible. I think our generation is willing
to work just as hard, but weíre not driven by money. Our priorities are more
about family or time to enjoy other activities."

Lisa LeSage, assistant dean of business law programs at Lewis & Clark
Collegeís Northwestern School of Law, said Molatoreís sentiments are echoed
by the hundreds of law students she interacts with each year. She sees first-hand
the correlation between the way the Millennials were raised and how it impacts
their learning styles and, eventually, their work styles.

"This is a generation that has grown up in a structured,
collaborative learning environment and has a team-building mentality," LeSage
says, noting many Millennials were enrolled in daycare at an early age and
participated in several extracurricular activities as children. "I think
one of the things that is difficult for law firms is that this generation
is seen as needing to be hand-held. However, because thereís this collaborative
culture we have an opportunity to mentor in a way we were never mentored."

Because of their collaborative upbringing, law students of
the Millennial generation thrive on interactive lessons and working on projects
in small groups. Approaches to teaching have evolved as a result.

"We have to look at new ways of teaching things. Iíve
taught for the last 15 years and my teaching methods have changed drastically," LeSage
says, adding lessons are much more hands-on and often take place outside
the classroom. "The substance is still there and I think itís made teaching
more exciting than 10 or 15 years ago."

Technological advances also have impacted teaching methods.
Itís not uncommon, LeSage says, for a two-hour class to incorporate video,
the Internet, a PowerPoint presentation and a blackboard.

"Itís a generation that has grown up with a wide range
of technology; they are very comfortable with it and they expect to receive
information in a lot of different ways," she says. "I correspond
with students by email and have found that it engages people who might not
be as comfortable speaking up in class or may learn better in a different
way."

The tech-savvy Millennialsí preferences are evident at Willamette
Universityís law school as well.

"We have a really nice resource library that is filled
with books, magazines and other printed materials, and they donít use it.
If they canít find it on the Internet, then they come to me and I recommend
a book," says Phylis Myles, the law schoolís director of career services.

While previous generations of attorneys hoped to join large
firms upon graduation, many Millennials are loaded with debt and see working
for a large firm as a stepping stone that allows them to pay off student
loans and gain experience to increase their marketability. They hope to eventually
move on to smaller and mid-sized firms, nonprofit organizations or government
agencies. Working in a large firm means adjustments ó and challenges ó for
some young associates, Myles says.

"I worry about burnout during that commitment. Some people
thrive in that environment and do well there, but if they arenít meant for
that, it may be really difficult for them," she says.

Law students at the University of Oregon, while often voicing
their desire for better life/work balance, realize quickly they must temper
their expectations with economic realities, says Jane Steckbeck, assistant
director for career services.

"I hear students talk about quality of life and not wanting
to work a 90-hour work week, as they put it. I donít see that they are able
to do that in reality, but this group wants to make that happen for themselves," she
says. "For many students, when they look at their debt load their eyes
go wide and they say, ĎOh my God, Iíll take whatever job I can get.í"

Regardless of where they work, todayís younger associates seem
to crave more opportunities for professional development and community service.
They also donít hesitate to explore career options if they arenít satisfied.

"This generation is very open to change and may not even
be in law for their whole life, let alone with the same law firm. It used
to be that you joined a firm and worked there for 30 or 40 years. That is
not the way young attorneys see it today," says Lewis & Clarkís
LeSage.

For law firms, the erosion of employee loyalty is one of several
challenges they face when it comes to new associates.

"From the firmís perspective that is difficult because
we really try to invest in our associates with the idea that one day they
will be a partner. When that doesnít turn out to be the fact, itís very disruptive.
Turnover isnít the greatest thing, but we deal with it," says Mary Ann
Frantz, a partner at Miller Nash.

However, firms can decrease such defections by offering a range
of opportunities and training exercises so younger associates constantly
learn and hone their skills, says LeSage. "I think law firms also can
enlist these new associates in the governance of the firm and in the retention
of clients and other associates. The firms that recognize that are on the
cutting edge."

Miller Nash, Tonkin Torp and Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt
are among the large Portland firms that have recognized the shift in generational
attitudes and addressed the differences by offering more formalized professional
development programs. These include mentoring opportunities, in-house CLE
courses and business training workshops. Such investments aim to cultivate
a new cadre of leaders, despite the trend away from long-term commitments
on the part of new associates.

"Over time you can kind of see if itís going to work out
or not, but weíre always striving to help people realize their full potential," Frantz
says.

Loree Devery, Tonkin Torpís manager of attorney recruiting
and professional development, says she also has witnessed changes in how
the firm encourages its associates to grow.

"We really try to teach what it means to be a lawyer and
how to grow as a lawyer by creating success and satisfaction in your career.
If lawyers feel the firm is invested in their career and professional development,
they will be less likely to take their skills and talents to another firm
or organization," she says.

The firm also utilizes its pro bono program as a key recruiting
tool for the growing number of law school graduates interested in such opportunities.

"Students see a law firmís commitment to pro bono not
only as a way to give back to the community but as a way to give lawyers
experience they might not otherwise get. Itís a great learning opportunity," Devery
says.

Mark Long, managing partner at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt,
says the firmís professional development leader works with younger associates
on topics ranging from how to optimize their advancement within the firm
to negotiating office politics. The firm also attempts to provide young associates
with mentorship opportunities through interaction with partners and transparency
in operations, he says.

"Being in an organization that is growing is a challenge
to anyone who wants to feel like a part of that organization. Weíve always
had an emphasis on substantive training in the form of CLEs or seminars,
and now thatís split with more in-house practical training," Long says. "Itís
a journey and weíre learning as we go."

Just as law firms are seeking ways to accommodate new work
styles and priorities, the Oregon State Barís New Lawyers Division has made
adjustments as well. The Millennialsí desire for a better life/work balance
has impacted not only the way young associates approach their work, but also
their community service.

"Younger lawyers have always been a great source of volunteer
energy, but even the way they volunteer is shifting," says Christine
Meadows, the divisionís chair and a shareholder at Jordan Schrader. "They
want to be much more directly involved in service, so they would rather work
directly with a family in need than serve on a board that helps families
in need."

And, because time is such a valuable commodity, the New Lawyers
Division has adjusted its expectations for participation.

"We have more people participating on a project-by-project
basis, and thereís been much more of a shift to meetings that address projects
instead of meeting every month no matter whatís going on," Meadows says. "People
feel like their time is being spent in a very productive and valuable way
rather than having regular meetings like we did in the past."

In addition, younger volunteers are very motivated and want
to get to work on a project immediately rather than spending a lot of time
meeting about it. "Trying to keep them engaged so they donít lose interest
is always a challenge," Meadows says.

Opportunities to interact with people who are culturally diverse
is another key priority for Millennials, according to Paul Burton, a former
Portland attorney who now serves as a professional development consultant
for other law firms.

"They are the most culturally diverse group ever, and
92 percent say they have friends of another race ó not acquaintances, but
friends," he says. "Their global viewpoint also is much broader
because they grew up with the Internet."

While the generational differences between the Millennials
and their older counterparts may seem to divide them into separate worlds,
generational traits tend to be cyclical and the Millennials bear a striking
resemblance to the "GI Generation" born during the early 1900s,
Burton says.

"This generation will mimic the GI Generation in many
ways, and itís already happening. This generation has seen war and its kids
are being killed in the war," he says. "They also have a lot of
institutional trust and have far more respect for leadership than their predecessors,
so they will be looking to firms for guidance in their practice."

Firms can successfully bridge the generation gap by providing
such guidance for a generation that values opportunities for mentorship,
collaboration and innovative ways to balance personal and professional interests.

Paradigm Shift

Meet the Millennials and youíre likely to find they may not be too keen on joining your committee, but they thrive on opportunities to make a difference. If you want to get them information quickly send an e-mail (98 percent check messages at least daily), and theyíre more apt to look for information online than in a physical library. They care less about whoís speaking at a CLE than the programís cost and convenience. A recent OSB member survey illustrates several differences between younger associates and their older counterparts.

The newest bar members place considerably greater importance than older lawyers on:

Addressing the need for free legal services for poor and middle-income people;

Increasing diversity in the legal profession;

Preserving judicial independence.

On the other hand, the Millennials are less concerned than older lawyers about:

The image of the profession;

The impact of technology on the profession;

The issue of whether there are too many lawyers in the profession.

ABOUT THE AUTHORMelody Finnemore is a Portland-based freelance writer and a frequent
contributor to the Bulletin.